Drop-head mechanism for sewing-machines.



C. E. COLEGROVE.

DROP HEAD MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14. 1915.

Patented July 16, 1918..

3 SHEEfS-SHEET C. E. COLEGROVE. DROP HEAD MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.APPLICATION mzo APR. 14. \915.

1,272,916. Patehted July 16, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

lll'l Witneso'eo c. E COLEGRO'VE, v DROP HEAD MECHANISM FOR SEWINGMACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 14. I915- Patented July 16, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- Ira/er: 1% A UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

CHARLES E. COLEGROVE,'OF EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WHITESEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

DROP-HEAD MECHANISM FOR SEWING+MACHINES.

Application filed April 14, 1915. Serial No. 21,436.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GHARLns E. Corinenovn, acitizen of theUnited States, resid ing at East Cleveland, in the countyof Guya- 5 hoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Drop- Head Mechanism for Sewing-Machines, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates'to the sort of drop leaf sewing machine cabinetswhich are typified by the construction shown and described in the GrothePatent No. 7 99,331, dated September 12th, 1905. In fact, theimprovements herein shown and described and claimed are the results ofefforts made to remedy the defects which have developed during ten yearsof practical and commercial use of the particular construction shown insaid'Grothe patent.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of partsshown in the drawings and hereinafter described, and pointed outdefinitely in-the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a sewing machine cabinetwhich embodies the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevationthereof when the parts are in the psition they must occupy when thesewing machine is in use; Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation of saidcabinet showing the parts in the same position as shown in Fig. 1; Fig.4 is a sectional view on line ll in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an endview ofthecabinet showing the parts thereof in the position they will occupynormally, that is to sa when the machine isnot in use Fig. 6 is a sideelevation-of the said cabinet with the parts in'an intermediateposition.

wardly extended and immovableback member a, a front membera which ishinged along its upper edge to a part a which is rigid with the table.In the top there is a substantially rectangular opening a 1 Brepresentsthe so-called drop leafwhich is hinged along its front edge to the tabletop, so that when said drop leafv 1s in the horizontal working position,it will lie within the opening a and this drop'leaf is of suchsize andshape that it will substantially fill said opening. Y

An extension top' C is hinged to the table and serves not only as anextension ofthe table whenthe machine is ini'working posi-Specification. of Letters Patent.

The cabinet hasa top or table A, a down- Patented July 16, 1918.

tion, butalso as the lever by means of which the drop leaf may be raisedto working position. A cable H is fixed to this extension leaf, passesover a part of the table and down through it in engagement with suitableguides which may be like the guides shown in Figs. l and 5 of saidGrothe patent. The other end of this cable is made fast to an arm Dwhich is adjustably fixed to the under side of the drop leaf near itsfree edge.

J represents a dust board which is hinged along its rear edge to therear member a of the cabinet, and it is under the influence of a springJ tending to swing its free end up-- ward. Generically, all of the partsthus far described are or may be like the corresponding parts shown insaid prior Grothe patent.

The arm D, asshown, is formed of two parallel sheet metal bars (Zsecured together by rivets (i A base plate d is fixed tothe under sideof the drop leaf, and it has a downwardly extended arm d whose lower endis notched on its sides to form the T- head (Z which is shown in Fig. l.The rear ends of the bars (Z are notched on their under side,.and theystraddle this bar (5 so that their notches lie over and engage the T'-shaped end (Z thereof. A threaded rod E fixed to the plate cl extendsdownward between the two side bars (Z of this lever; and the nuts ce' onthis threaded rod engage respectively with the upper and lower sides ofthese bars, and thereby the lever D is adjustably fixed in position. Aroller cl? lies between these two bars d and is rotatably mountedthereon. i

N represents a link having a pivoted connection with the rear side ofthe front cabinet member a near the lower edge thereof. This link iscurved as shown, and its other end is pivotally connected with an can mwhich is a part of a bracket plate M. This bracket plate embraces thevertical partcl in which there is a vertical slot 0Z"'; and the screw Mwhich passes through this slot screws into the bracket plate M andthereby the bracket plate may be fixed to said arm (2. This constructionis of considerable advantage in the assembling of "the the drop leaf islowered, this member a is brought to the vertical position, and thebracket plate allowed to take suchpositi'on as it will" on the part d.It is then fixedin' that position by the screw M. An arm n is fixed tothe link N in substantially the position shown in Fig. 3., so that asthe drop leaf is raised and lowered, a buffer block, which may be offelt, or other soft material, at its end may, engage the. dust board.

In order to lower the drop, leaf from its working horizontal positionto, its normal position theextension is swung upward and over onto thetable. This slackens, the cable and thereforepermits the drop leaf toswing downward. As. its swings down the buffer a secured to the end, ofthe arm n Will noiselessly engage the top of the dust board, and willpush it down. As the dropleaf continues to descend, the roller d in theend of lever Dv will come into contact with this; dust board, and willact upon. it to push it. down, until it rolls. off of the front edge of:said dust board. The dust board will at this timebe insubstantialengagement with the rear edge of;- the drop leaf, as shown inBig. 5, and. it will remain in engagement with it" as, long, as the dropleaf remains down, thereby; serving in aflarge measure to, keepjdustfrom. the sewing machine head which. is fixed to the drop. leaf.

To lift. the drdpleaf to working position, one. takes; hold of theextension to which at the time was lying upon the tab e covering thehole 'therein'and swings it over to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2.As the drop leaf: goes up the roller 01- will engage the 'dust board,andwill allow it to swing slowly' upward under the influence of thespring Jrf As the. drop leaf nears itshorizont'alposition thisrol'ler'will leave the dust board. If it were not forv the arm n, thisdustfboard: would. swing upward. and slap noisily against the; lower.edge. of the. hinged front member of the. cabinet. Instead=,.ho.w;-ever, it cbmesnoiselessly into contact with the; buffer n, which permitsit to gradually rfis'e until without. noise. it comes intocontact.wtih:the-.lower edge. of thecabinet member A; and it remains incontact; therewith until the drop. leaf. reaches'its working position,"as. shown in Fig.6.

'It will. be noted'that. the drop leaf is formed: with an unbrokensurface from front torear, that istosay, it is not formed in part of ahinged. extension strip extending from one side to the other, as hasheretofore been the'coinmon practice. When such an extension strip isused, it is necessary to provide mechanism: or' guides by which thisextension-=strip.-is-moved or guided. into the. opening in the table andinto horizontal position therein. These guides, or whatevercorresponding mechanism are used, are expensive. Likewisdthe extensionstrip is objectionable for several reasons: In the first place, itpresents anunsightly appearance; in the second place, the joint betweenit and the drop leaf furnishes a lodging place for dirt, and, finally,it prevents the rear edge of the dnop leaf from helping to stop the dropleaf in the horizontal position it shall occupy when the machine isready for use. Notwithstanding all of these objections and theincidental expense, this extension piece has been used almostuniversally on. drop leaf sewing machine cabinets of the type specified.

As stated, however, the drop. leaf herein shown is a jointless unbrokenpiece, from front to rear, except that at the righthand rear corner asmall'rectangular piece is cut out. This is necessary because otherwisethe rear edge of the drop leaf would strike the fly wheel ll as itswings down; and this would of course stop. this down swinging movement.This cut out corner is of such width and depth merely as is necessary toprevent the fly wheel from engaging the drop. leaf. This cut out corneris closed by a small plate to hinged along. its front edge to the dropleaf; and normally occupying the position in which its top surface isflush with the. top surface ofthe drop, leaf; when the drop, leaf islowered this platev by engagement with the fly wheel; wil-lbe; swung up,as much as is necessary, but when the drop leaf is being raisedthislittle plate will take its. proper position assoon as it passes out ofcontact with said fi-y wheel. A spring w may be employed to swing thislittle plate to the position shown, but the action of gravity. willgenerally. be sufficient.

Cleats Q which are screwed tofthev under side of, the; drop leaf projectrearward beyond. its edge, so that when the drop leaf reaches thehorizontal working position these cleats will engage, beneath'theltabletop and thereby prevent. any further up ward movement of said-drop leafiHaving described: my invention, I claim: 1...In, asewing machine cabinethaving a table. in which. is an opening, the combinationiof' a frontcabinet member which is hinged-along itsupperedge to the table, a dropleaf hinged along; its front edge to the table. and fitted t-o, the saidopeningtherein, alink pivoted at one, end ofsaid. front cabinet member,a bracket to which the. other end of said link is pivoted, a slotted'arm fixed to andexteii'din'gv downward from said drop leaf, and ascrewfor, connectingsaid bracket to said slotted arm ,7

2. In a sewing.mach'nefcabinethaving a table in which is an. opening,and a rigid hination of a front cabinet member which is hinged along itsupper edge to the table, a drop leaf hinged along its front edge to thetable and fitted to the said opening therein, a link pivoted at one endto the front mem her and at its other end to the drop leaf, a dust boardhinged along its rear edge to the rear cabinet member, a spring actingto swing said dust board upward, and an arm rigidly fixed to said linkand extending downwardly therefrom for engagement with said dust board.

3. In a sewing machine cabinet having a table in which is an opening,and a rigid downwardly extended back member, the combination of a frontcabinet member which is hinged along its upper edge to the table, a dropleaf hinged along its front edge to the table and fitted to the saidopening therein, a link pivoted at one end to the front member and atits other end to the drop leaf, an arm connected to said link andextending downward therefrom for engagement with the dust board, and adust board hinged along its rear edge to the rear cabinet member, aspring acting to swing said dust board upward, a lever adjustably fixedto the under side of said drop leaf and extending forward therefrom andhaving at its front end an anti-friction roller, which will engage saiddust board as the drop leaf is swinging from one end to the other of itspath of movement.

t. In a sewing machine cabinet, the combination of a table in which is arectangular opening, a rigid drop leaf of such size and shape as to fitsaid hole, which drop leaf is hinged along its front edge to the table,said drop leaf having its rear corner cut to form a notch which is inthe same vertical plane as the fly wheel of the sewing machine, a platefitted to said notch and hinged along its front edge to said drop leafwhereby it will en age the fly wheel when the drop leaf is lowered, anda spring acting to return said plate to its normal position.

5. In a sewing machine cabinet having a table in which is an opening,the combination of a front cabinet member which is hinged along itsupper edge to the table and extends downwardly therefrom, a drop leafhinged along its front edge to the table and fitted to the openingtherein, an arm fixed to the under side of said drop leaf adjacent itsrear edge, a link pivoted at one end to said front member, and a bracketto which the other end of said link is pivoted, said bracket beingmovable upon said arm, and means to fix the bracket to said arm at anydesired point in the length thereof.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

CHARLES E. COLEGROVE.

Witnesses VVILLrAM GRoTHE, J. O. HUFFMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

- Washington, D. C.

